


Burns

by sky_squido



Series: LU Creative Train (Angst Track) [5]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Angst, Because I DO WHAT I WANT, Blood, Bonding, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), and i thought the prompt was stars, but i took that VERY loosely, like just a lil', the boys being soft, this was for the LU creative train
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:55:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26641798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sky_squido/pseuds/sky_squido
Summary: Eight boys arrive in Arbiters Grounds.
Relationships: Legend & Wind (Linked Universe), Twilight & Wind (Linked Universe)
Series: LU Creative Train (Angst Track) [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1938178
Comments: 26
Kudos: 150





	Burns

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this back in july and can FINALLY POST IT!!! :D it was for the LU creative train, which was so much fun!!

Wind blinked away the residual dizziness that always followed switching worlds, swaying on his feet blearily. Distantly, he could hear someone doing a headcount. Was that the Hero of Time? Or the Captain? Or someone else entirely? He couldn’t tell through the fuzziness in his head and it didn’t help that he’d only just met most of the other heroes. They’d been dragged all across time and space on a wacky hero-collecting road trip for weeks now and there was no end in sight. They’d already found  _ eight _ different versions of themselves. How many more  _ were _ there?

Wind glanced around, trying to get his bearings. There was the Hero of Time, armed, armored and cutting quite the intimidating figure silhouetted against the bright, starry night sky. In the faint light that flickered down from the dazzling array of celestial seaspray, Wind could also make out the shapes of the free-spirited, scarred Champion; the soft, caring, caped one that somehow lived in the  _ literal sky _ and also wielded a  _ massive _ version of the Master Sword; the sharp-tongued, pink-haired hero with an arsenal that Wind just  _ had _ to get his hands on; the odd but amicable multicolored smithy who was  _ yes, finally someone shorter than Wind _ ; the sweet but shy brunet who could  _ use literal magic holy hell they were all such badasses _ ; and the Captain who’d fought a war by his side and who he loved like a brother, the Hero of Warriors.

They were in a sort of hallway, one that curved, the inside adorned by pillars and the outside a series of squarish arches. It vaguely reminded Wind of the tower of gods. Beyond the arches lay a vast expanse of desert that lingered eerily under the light of the stars, pock-marked with ruins and heaps of stone. What kind of hero lived  _ here _ of all places? Wind began bouncing excitedly on his toes. Who were they going to meet next? Everyone he’d met so far was  _ so kickass _ and Wind could already  _ taste _ all the trouble they were gonna get up to. What was this one gonna be like? Another gremlin he could plan pranks with? Another one with an epic arsenal? Someone  _ else _ shorter than him? The possibilities were endless! And they always landed pretty close to the next hero, so it probably wouldn’t even take them more than a day to find him. 

Wind was practically vibrating with excitement.

“Which way do we go?”

“Let’s split up and see. Wind, Legend, Hyrule, you’re with me. Sky, Four, Wild, you’re with Warriors.”

Right, those were their names. It was fun not knowing who anyone was, though, because this way he had an excuse to come up with  _ killer _ nicknames for everyone. “Pinky” was already starting to grow on him and “Fluffy” was a  _ much _ better nickname than “magic boy.” But alas, he still had to know their actual names in case he needed to get their attention in a battle or something. After a moment of shuffling, Wind’s group began heading towards their end of the hallway, Fun Sponge leading the way and followed closely behind by Pinky and Fluffy. 

They moved down carefully, quiet footsteps echoing off the walls and keeping time with the melodic howling of the wind. As they walked, the curved inner wall fell away, revealing a massive circular room lined with arches. Six towers stood tall around it, looming above them with vaguely familiar crests adorning the top of each one. In the center lay a huge mound of sand topped with a massive pillar of stone so dark it could have swallowed the stars themselves. In front of that, there was a raised platform with a small stairway leading up it and topped by an ornate, curved holder of sorts that looked almost like a large mirror stand. And laying on the ground before it was… 

“Holy  _ sh*t _ .”

“Someone’s up there!”

Hyrule—yes this was really rather important, actually, nicknames would have to wait—began rushing forwards, light already collecting between his fingertips like a tiny sun, when Legend caught him by the shoulder, holding him back with a frown.

“Wait, it could be a trap.”

“I don’t care! They need help!” Hyrule pulled against his grip.

“They may, but let’s first make sure it’s safe,” Time ordered, moving in front of the pair, scanning the arches warily.

Wind followed behind him, carefully eyeing the figure crumpled at the base of the mirror. He looked about the Captain’s age, his soft chestnut hair lying limp on the ground, and an evergreen tunic over  _ sick, gold chainmail _ adorned with a thin blue wrap around his waist. The man’s leather bracers and gloves covered what looked to be strong arms and hands, but streaks of  _ gods was that blood  _ painted his fingertips. Laying in the dust below the platform was a dark pelt of some sort of fur and sticking out of the mound of sand was the hilt of what looked like the Master Sword. For some reason, it was another, plainer, sword that lay by his side. 

And scattered all around him were shards of broken glass.

They were like fallen stars, sparkling on the ground and catching the light in a way that no jewel ever would. They seemed to absorb the very sky into themselves, glittering with the vibrance of whole galaxies. 

Time, Wind, and Legend stood, dumbfounded by the sight. Hyrule wasted no time, kneeling by the man’s side and quickly enveloping him in a shimmering aura of healing magic.

“Aside from some superficial scratches on his fingertips, he’s fine… physically, anyway.” Hyrule sat back on his heels, the light fading. “Emotionally, I’m worried. His energy is all… twisted up inside. I think he’s… grieving.”

Time knelt by the strange man’s side, gingerly brushing the hair from his face to expose strange grey markings above his troubled expression. Dark circles hung below his closed eyes. Legend hopped off the platform, pulling the familiar purple hilt from the dune. 

“He’s our hero, alright,” the veteran deadpanned, holding up the blade and using his free hand to dump sand from a signature green cap. 

“Yeah, but what the hell happened to him?” Wind asked, brow furrowed. “Why is he covered in broken glass? And what possessed him to chuck the Master Sword into a pile of sand?”

Time’s eye closed solemnly. “The Master Sword is a heavy burden to bear. Not all can handle the weight of that destiny.”

“But,” Wind turned to Time, confusion and worry clear on his face, “he’s got the tunic. He’s a hero, right? Shouldn’t he be able to handle it?”

Time sighed. “I honestly don’t know.”

The four heroes froze at the sound of approaching voices. 

“The other way’s just a crumbling staircase. I wouldn't trust it to hold a—what  _ happened? _ ”

There stood Warriors, accompanied by Sky, Four, and Wild.

“We found this world’s hero,” Hyrule explained, worry creeping into his voice, “but he’s not okay.”

Wind tuned out the explanation in favor of watching Four climb onto the pedestal and kneel next to the frame, scooping some shards up in his fingers. The smithy froze, eyes locked on the glass with shocked recognition seared into his gaze. 

“... Four? Do you know something?”

Four’s eyes shot to Wind, drawing the group’s attention. He looked to Hyrule.

“Did you say he was grieving?”

A nod.

Four’s brow furrowed as he seemingly reached a decision within himself. 

“A mirror like this… when it shatters, it can take away those we love most. Judging by the sharpness of these fragments and the amount of glass dust, this mirror  _ just _ broke a few hours ago. Today was probably one of the worst days of his  _ life _ .”

The group listened in silence as Four took a deep breath, preparing himself for what he was about to say. 

“He can’t know we saw him like this. I don’t know anything about him, but this isn’t how anyone wants to be introduced. He needs time and space. We should head back down and make camp, but be loud. Let  _ him _ find  _ us _ on his own terms.”

Legend stared at the cap and sword in his hands, his face solemn and his eyes holding far too much pain and understanding.

“Yeah. Let’s do that.”

The group headed back, setting up camp at the landing at the top of the sketchy staircase as Wild quietly made dinner. Nobody spoke a word. 

_ Nayru _ , why were all the heroes so  _ angsty _ ? Four had said they should be loud, but they were all being so downcast! No matter. Wind could get them laughing and cracking jokes in no time. All he had to do was what he did best: be a little sh*t.

Legend was staring into the fire, a blank expression on his face. 

Target acquired.

Wind nonchalantly moseyed on over, positioning himself directly behind Legend. An impish smile crept over his face and he flexed his fingers in preparation before jamming his fingertips into Legend’s ribs. 

The veteran let out a horribly undignified shriek of alarm, raising his shoulders like a startled cat and letting out a string of curses that did little more than cause Wind to burst out laughing, doubling over and clutching his stomach.

It didn’t take long for Legend to collect himself, spinning around and whipping out a strangely-shaped golden rod. Wind took that as his cue to run, and began rushing down the hallway. Legend followed after and, smiling triumphantly, waved his rod, causing the sand on the ground in front of Wind to rise up in a great wall, blocking his escape. Wind spun around, staring at Legend with fake fear on his face as he reached his hand into his equipment pouch. The veteran stalked forward, looking about three seconds away from wringing Wind’s neck, when he made the mistake of stepping on a patch of sand. 

_ Aaaaaaaaaaaand now!  _

Wind whipped out his own sand wand, spinning it through his fingers and causing the ground beneath Legend’s feet to shoot up into the air, leaving the veteran smushed against the ceiling. 

“Why you little—”

Wind turned back around, waiting for the wall of sand to dissipate, but unfortunately, Legend’s pillars seemed to last  _ longer _ than Wind’s, leaving a now very angry, sandy Legend standing before a still very cornered Wind. 

Until, that is, the wall of sand began to shake. Was the pillar dissipating? No, the wall was vanishing because Legend was making a  _ new _ one. The ground shuddered for a moment before Wind found himself laying on top of a pillar of sand several feet high with his face pressed unpleasantly against the ceiling. 

“Truce?” he managed to squeeze out, trying to make that cute face that adults couldn’t resist. 

Legend’s eyes only narrowed. 

_ Sh*t. _

But it was okay, right? All Wind had to do was stay calm until the pillar fell, then he could spring into action and get away. And  _ there, _ it was already starting to shake. Now he just had to—

Before he could move, Legend—now smiling victoriously—raised the rod again. Just as the pillar fell, another one rose, smacking Wind into the ceiling again. 

“ _ HEY! Let me down, you f— _ ”

“Now, now. Ask me nicely and  _ maybe _ I’ll think about it.”

Wind sighed. “Pinky, can you pretty please—”

“ _ STOP CALLING ME THAT! _ ”

“But I forgot what your name was! What else am I supposed to call you?”

“Legend! Call me Legend!  _ Hylia _ , who thought it was a good idea to make you a hero?” He threw his hands into the air in irritation, sand rod forgotten.

The pillar beneath Wind crumbled back to sand, leaving him laying on the floor. He stood up, brushing the sand from his tunic, and looked Legend straight in the eye.

“ _ I _ did.” He grinned. “The gods were too terrified of me to give me that kind of power. I had to get it for  _ myself _ .”

Wind thought he saw a bit of fear creep into Legend’s shocked gaze— _ good— _ but on second thought, was looking more and more like pity. 

“What’s that face for?!” Wind asked, indignation coloring his tone.

“They weren’t scared  _ of _ you, Wind. They were scared  _ for _ you. No hero is free from scars. Even if you can’t see them.” His voice lowered and a chilled night breeze swept down the corridor. “You’re burning, Wind.”

Wind’s brow furrowed. “What are you on about? I’m not burning.”

“Yes you are. You’re burning from what you’ve done and from what you didn’t do. You don’t understand what I mean right now, but someday you will. Someday you’ll realize just how many burns you have. Wind, you… you don’t need to pretend to be okay.”

“I—what? But I  _ am _ okay.”

Legend closed his eyes. “None of us are okay. None of us  _ can  _ be. But none of us are alone, either. Not anymore. When you realize… you can talk to us.”

“I… thanks? Legend, are you—”

“I’m fine.”

Wind raised an eyebrow.

“I’m not okay, but I’m fine.”

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

“We should head back. The others are probably starting to worry. We made more than enough of a racket to wake up the new guy.”

“Legend—” but before Wind could finish, Legend had already turned the corner.

Wind deflated. What the  _ hell _ was that about?

* * *

Wind sat on the broken base of a pillar, staring out at the night. The stars continued to shine overhead, sliding across the sky in an endless, spiraling journey.

He sighed, pulling Warriors’ scarf tighter around himself. In the dying embers of the campfire, he could see the soft contours of Legend’s face twisted in discomfort. It was because of his words that Wind had agreed to take first watch. He needed to think.

_ Burning.  _ It was such an odd word choice. And from what he’d done? Legend didn’t know about  _ any _ of Wind’s journey. What made him so sure that Wind had done something worth burning over? 

“Who are you and how did you get here.”

Wind looked up, snapping himself out of his thoughts. Before him stood the man they’d found. He looked the same as when they’d found him, but considerably less on-death’s-doorstep and also now with the dark pelt wrapped around his shoulders. A strange black crystal hung from his neck as well. His sword, though, remained the plain one with the leather grip and his head was bare of any manner of green cap.

“I— _ shit _ , usually Time explains this. Can I wake him up?”

The man eyed the other heroes suspiciously. “I’m sure you can manage.”

“Okay, so uh. Your name’s Link, right?”

The man tensed.

“Yeah. My name is also Link. And so are all of theirs”—he gestured to the group—“we’re, uh, all heroes from different—this is gonna sound really stupid—different places in time. I’m from a Hyrule in the distant future probably where it’s all been flooded and is now an ocean. That one”—he gestured to Sky—“literally lives in the Sky, in an era before Hyrule even existed. We all share this spirit of the hero or whatever and we’re being dragged through time by we think maybe the goddess Hylia—largely against our wills—in preparation for fighting a big baddie probably. You honestly don’t have a choice on if you’re coming or not, so grab anything you might have laying around, come up with a nickname, and prepare for probably the wackiest road trip the world has ever seen.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing. “I am  _ not _ in the mood for ghosts right now.”

“Hey, I’m not a ghost!”

“Says the kid claiming to be from the future while standing in a haunted prison ground. Believe me, this place is full of ‘em.”

“Is  _ that _ what this place is? What the f*ck are you doing hanging out in a haunted prison ground?”

He looked to the side. “It’s a long story.”

“Do you… wanna talk about it?”

“I…” he sighed. The pain in his eyes was heartbreaking. “I don’t know if I’m ready yet.”

That was… odd. Wind had been expecting more of an  _ I don’t even know who you are. _ Was he that broken up about whatever happened that he would be willing to spill his guts to a total stranger?

“Oh, uh… take your time.” Wind scooted to one side of the pillar base and patted the spot next to him invitingly. The man—right, they needed a nickname—scanned the campsite with something resembling sadness and was that… resignation? He eventually decided to sit down next to Wind, plopping himself down and resting his forearms on his knees.

“Do you wanna come up with a nickname?”

The man looked at Wind, looking just a breath less dead inside than he had been, and his face softened into a rueful smile. His gaze drifted to the sky, at the quivering lights clinging desperately to the heavens. 

“Tell me, do you ever feel a strange sadness as dusk falls?” The man said that like it was somehow supposed to explain something. Like it  _ meant _ something.

Wind thought for a moment. “No, I can’t say that I do. Sunset… it’s  _ beautiful _ .” Wind smiled despite himself, gesticulating excitedly. “The sky lights up a million colors and the ocean turns to molten gold. The sea stays warm even as the wind grows chilled and the first stars begin to blink into the sky, a welcome sight to any navigator. Sure it’s sad that the day ends, but the night is beautiful in its own way. I welcome them both. Two sides of the same coin, you know?”

The man remained in silence for a moment. “But what about the twilight? That time when the world hangs precariously between the two, balanced on the coin’s edge. What about that time?”

Wind felt his brow furrow in confusion, but he indulged him nonetheless.

“Yeah, it’s nice. That time when the first star blinks into the sky, the bravest and the brightest, a beacon of hope guiding sailors on their journeys. It’s like the dawn, but not quite as still. It’s like… it’s as if the day is an inhale and the night is an exhale and twilight is that little time in the middle when the world holds its breath. Is that what you mean?”

The man’s gaze shifted to the ground, a bittersweet smile on his face and his eyes suspiciously wet.

“Yeah. That is what I mean.”

Wind opened his mouth, but was interrupted by the man saying: “call me Twilight.”

Wind let his mouth fall shut and smiled before replying. “I’m Wind. It’s nice to meet you, Twilight.” 

The man’s eyes finally turned to the sailor’s own, the two pairs locked in a moment of camaraderie.

“The pleasure’s all mine, Wind.”

He extended his hand in a handshake, and Wind gripped his forearm firmly, shaking it once. Twilight’s hand lingered in the grip a tad too long.

“So you are actually real.”

Wind smiled, narrowing his eyes. “Give it a few days. You’ll wish I wasn’t.”

That earned a chuckle from Twilight, as well as an “I doubt that.”

Their gazes returned to the distance, the two sitting in silence for a moment longer. Wind’s mind drifted back to Legend’s words from before. Was Wind burning? Was  _ Twilight _ burning?

“How about you?”

Wind shook himself from his thoughts, blinking. “What?”

“Do  _ you _ wanna talk about it?”

“What? What makes you think I have something that needs talking about?”

Twilight’s smile turned rueful. Wind resolved to make him smile and laugh for real someday. “Your eyes, kid. They’re too old for someone your age.”

Said eyes flicked away. “Someone else told me something similar earlier. He said I was burning from the things I’ve done… and the things I haven’t. I’m still trying to figure out what he meant.”

Twilight didn’t respond.

Wind looked at him. “Are  _ you _ burning, Twilight?”

Twilight brought one foot onto the base they were sitting on, pulling his knee up to his chest and hugging it, resting his chin on top.

“I’ve been burned, yeah. But I don’t think I’m burning anymore. I was, but… s-someone helped me quench those flames.”

“Can you tell me what it means? Burning?”

“It’s guilt, kid. What you did that you wish you hadn’t. What you didn’t that you wish you had. I didn’t realize it at first, but I failed to protect someone and I  _ burned _ because of it. That guilt. It eats away at you like a hungry fire, and every little movement only pulls at the raw skin.”

Guilt? Legend thought Wind was guilty? Of what?

_ Murder, _ his mind supplied. He’d stabbed a man straight through the head without remorse. But that was okay, wasn’t it? Ganondorf was a megalomaniac. He kidnapped Aryll and those other girls and nearly killed Wind on multiple occasions, and he’d hurt Tetra real bad, too. Wind let his eyes fall over the desert’s frigid expanse with a shudder. A cruel wind that brought only death, was that what Ganondorf had said? Gazing into the great expanse of sand crossed with what appeared to be huge, bottomless cracks, Wind could imagine the desperation one might feel if doomed to live in this place. The night was dry and frigid, and the day was like a furnace. There wasn’t so much as a puddle to be seen, only swirling clusters of sand that swept the barren landscape. Was Ganondorf so wrong for wanting a better home for his people? For them to no longer be doomed to suffering? Could they have used the Triforce to wish for the Gerudo to prosper as well? But Ganondorf was a murderer, wasn’t he? He didn’t kill Aryll or anyone else he’d captured, and even when Wind broke into his fortress, he’d only tossed him into the sea rather than feed him to the Helmaroc King. And the second time he’d broken in, Ganondorf had only hit him after Wind had tried to stab him. And he could have killed Wind or Tetra to take their parts of the Triforce, but he didn’t. He didn’t even knock Wind out. Time and time again, he’d spared them both. Could Wind have returned the favor? Ganondorf was a man, after all. A magic one, who wasn’t the nicest person in the world, but he wasn’t a murderer and he wasn’t a monster. Gods, Wind could still feel the way the blade trembled in his hands as it broke through Ganondorf’s—no, don’t think about that.

But a steady pressure on his inside, one that made it hard to breathe, grew hotter. He felt sick. His skin tingled as if being licked by flames. Pain stabbed through his heart and his mind could picture little more than the image of a blazing bonfire. Was Wind a murderer at twelve? And he still had his other journeys—what else…  _ gods _ what else had he done?

Images of Greatfish isle, the ruined buildings, shattered fences, and earth ripped to lopsided shreds, crept out of his subconscious.  _ People _ had lived there. And it was in ruins because… because Wind hadn’t gotten there fast enough. Could he have stopped it? Prevented the island from being destroyed? The King of Red Lions, the King of Hyrule, could he have—

“I’m burning,” he blurted out, panting.  _ Gods,  _ Wind was three seconds away from losing his dinner. He tightened his grip on Warriors’ scarf. “Twilight, I’m on fire and I’m burning to ashes. It’s just like Legend said. I’m  _ covered _ in burns.”

Twilight’s face softened into something sympathetic.

Wind grabbed one of Twilight’s shoulders, breathing heavily. “Is it… okay? Do I… do I have any right to call myself a hero? Any right to—”

Twilight’s face was grave and tight. He placed a firm, solid hand on Wind’s shoulder, the warmth seeping in through his thin tunic.

“You can’t erase the past.”

Wind stared at him in disbelief and betrayal. Was that it? Was that all? Was Wind really doomed to burn forever? Was—

“But, all the good you’ve done as a hero is never going to disappear, either. You’ve saved far more lives than you’ve taken. Your net impact on the world has been  _ positive _ . And that positive imprint is  _ never _ going to fade away.”

Wind stared at Twilight, then let his eyes unfocus and look towards the horizon. He leaned into Twilight’s side, soaking up his warmth, and letting his eyes flutter closed sleepily. Until, that is, he snapped up, back ramrod straight.

_ Sh*t, he forgot to wake Legend up for watch! _

Wind abruptly turned to face Legend, mouth open and hand outstretched, before he paused, hand falling limp by his side. Legend’s eyes were open, staring into the campfire, and filled with tears. They flickered in the campfire like tiny golden stars. Stars that would fall and make way for a new day.

**Author's Note:**

> this was a massive blast!! huge props to quail, 9dl, and blue for running it!
> 
> (did anyone spot the violet evergarden reference? owo)


End file.
